MINSTER Lovell Hall’s ruins took on the look of a scene from a Christmas card after snow fell in West Oxfordshire on Sunday night and Monday.

Seven centimetres of snow (almost 3in) fell at Little Rissington, near Burford, on the county boundary with Gloucestershire.

Although there was less snow than last month, there were still problems for drivers on minor roads which were not visited by gritters and snowploughs.

Stagecoach diverted buses on a number of routes due to tricky conditions on Monday morning, with services on route S3 between Woodstock and Charlbury sticking to the B4437, because of snow on side roads through Stonesfield, Combe and Fawler. Route 242 between Witney and Woodstock was unable to use its normal route via New Yatt until lunchtime.

The snow is expected to stay on the ground today but will thaw quickly tomorrow as milder weather moves in, bringing the risk of further flooding near rivers.